Equipment Review:
SMT Golf 430cc Driver
by Jeffrey Reed, Editor, LondonOntarioGolf.com

What would you say if I told you the longest driver I have ever hit utilizes a 430cc head? Chances are, you’re a big fan of the larger 460cc head, and why not? With Moment of Inertia maximized and Centre of Gravity perfectly positioned in a 460cc head – combined with the proper shaft – a modern oversized driver promises ultimate forgiveness and distance.

While I won’t argue with science, I will trumpet the thinking behind SMT Golf’s line of golf equipment – in specific, SMT’s 430cc Indio driver head custom fitted with the stiff, 46 in. Argent shaft from SMT’s RLM Series shaft line.

Let me make it simple for you: this is the longest driver I have ever it. Especially over the past three years, we here at London Ontario Golf have tested hundreds of golf clubs. Testing the SMT driver – into a 25 km/hr. headwind, I may add – I was pleasantly surprised at the length of this driver, to say the least. In fact, testing a dozen other drivers on this day, the SMT driver was the longest by 15 yards, and one of only three drivers (including the KZG SPX and Alpha Golf RX drivers) able to fly it onto the green into the wind.

SMT Golf bills itself as “the winningest component company in the history of golf,” with six RE/MAX World Long Drive Championships to its credit, plus hundreds of other individual and Long Drivers of America victories, not to mention numerous accolades and awards earned around the globe. SMT Golf has created a full line of quality components, and includes hybrids, irons and wedges amongst its offerings.

Headquartered in Oswego, Illinois, SMT Golf recently made news with its interchangeable head/shaft combinations. SMT owner and president, Mike Tait, is clearly passionate about his company, and rightfully so given the performance of the club we tested on a blustery day.

Tait has stated about his products, “We spend money on good materials because when the best stuff goes into the making of a club, the best stuff comes out.” A long-time PGA member, Tait learned the art of clubmaking from the grass roots level – in the pro shop. After watching a long-drive competition, and witnessing shafts and heads break into splinters, he designed a better club with the help of competitors who wrote down their wish lists on napkins.

SMT drivers are forged, manufactured with only high-grade titanium. Tait says the company “can custom fit a driver for any player at any level.”

The combination of the Indio head, along with the Argent shaft should carry a warning label: “Dangerously long and straight.” But before you even hit one pill with this big dog, the clubface of the SMT driver hits you in the face: it’s designed without grooves. What do grooves typically do to a clubface? They promote spin and accuracy. After hitting ball after ball with this club, I quickly threw that theory out the window. Now, perhaps this club would test differently in a high-handicapper’s hands in terms of accuracy. But the 8.5-degree lofted Indio clubhead and stiff Argent shaft proved lethal in this scribe’s hands.

The Indio features a patented crown design featuring a cross-hatch pattern, and it’s forged with weight reduction and rigidity in mind. The bottom of the crown has been forged with a different, tear drop design which reduces weight and increases rigidity for added strength. Weight removed from the crown is countered with deep angular fins cut into the sole of the clubhead. Without welding weight chips onto the side of the soleplate, or through the addition of copper weight or screw systems, SMT adds weight in the right places through innovative design.

The lightweight Argent shaft of the RLM Series is SMT’s best-selling shaft. The company says this shaft helps boost accuracy because it is the heaviest within the series, but it’s still very lightweight – yet remarkably stable. Kickpoint in the stiff Argent shaft is mid-flex – my preference.

The result? Explosive contact, long distance and a mid-trajectory with plenty of carry plus roll.

Chalk one up for SMT Golf: the company has won a new fan in this low-handicapper.

SMT Golf includes numerous SMT Elite Club Builders at the company web site. Canadian-based club builders include Hale’s Custom Clubworks in Toronto, and Golf Etc. in Niagara Falls. You can also order online at www.smtgolf.com.

The Indio clubhead sells for $139, and the Argent shaft just $69. I’m also a fan of SMT’s custom perforated wrap grip, which provides the perfect tack when you grip it and rip it.

Get into the groove – or rather, away from grooves: visit SMT Golf online and read about their innovative golf club combinations.